My brother took me bowling yet again today, but, as he didn’t think we had time to both bowl three games before we had to meet our sister, her sons, and a friend of the family for lunch, he let me go to work and just watched. Little did he know (nor did I at the time) what was in store; I don’t usually put my practice-type games on BowlSK, but today was one where I probably should have. As it is, I remembered to get a printout at the desk, and what follows are scans from the sheets.
Game 1:
It took me some time to figure out the lane, but I eventually found something standing 36 and going 11 or 12 and ended with the last four, setting the stage for what follows…
Game 2:
The first frame was a weak 10, but then I really got cranking and hit the last 11 for an unofficial-best 290 game. Tom Hedding, along with my brother, viewed my last shots and then offered to front me the entry for the NEBA tournament this weekend, which I had to refuse partly because my big nephew is in a school play this evening and I have to be there for that.
Game 3:
With the first strike in this game, I turned to look at Tom at the desk, who put his hands in the air in celebration, saying, “300!” Of course, it wasn’t a 300 game, but tenpin bowlers still have a term for it: a “Varipappa 300” (after PBA great Andy Varipappa), meaning any 12 strikes in a row. I added two more before leaving a washout because I was bowling at such a quick pace. In that run, however, I had 14 in a row, and 18 out of 19, my best bowling ever. Ray came by my lane after I was finished, so I quickly showed him the second game on the scoring console and he congratulated me, adding, “You have to do that in league now.”
Needless to say, I showed the sheets to all of my lunch companions. I summed up what this meant to me with something I’ve always said, “If you can do something once in bowling, you can do it again,” so I now know that an honor score is no longer a question of “if,” but “when.” š
The Tenth Board 